Disclaimer: LtBF's plot is mine. Hugs protectively Character's aren't though...puuu. They belong to Maki Murakami and SONY.
Notes & Warning: Shounen-ai, a hint of malexmale sex, dark, depressive, attempted rape…and the list goes on. OMG is that a vague plot? Faints away NUUUUUU arises Yeah, I'm shocked too. Angst. Yessum. That much was obvious, ne? . I'm sorry for the long wait for this chapter. I've had a lot of personal stuff to deal with lately.

Chapter Six

Tohma is silhouetted in the doorway, but Yuki can see the look glinting in the ArchAngel's cerulean eyes. His shoulders are heaving, almost as though he's about to explode. Yuki shifts over in the bed, trying to block Shuichi from view as much as possible.
'Tohma,' he says, evenly as possible.
Tohma's eyes fix on Shuichi and he stalks to the bed. Yuki tries to push him away, but Tohma, who is surprisingly strong, batters him off without even trying.
Long, delicate fingers root themselves deeply into Shuichi's pink hair and tug. The boy lets out a whimper in pain. Yuki moves forward and tries to dislodge Tohma's fingers from Shuichi's scalp.
'Tohma! Let him go!'
Tohma slaps his hands away and pulls Shuichi from the bed by his hair, lifting the boy up so his eyes meet Shuichi's deep violet ones.
Yuki sits stunned, awed by the anger and strength of the ArchAngel. He's powerless.
'How dare you lay a finger on Eiri-san?' Tohma asks, deathly quiet.
Despite his situation, Shuichi's eyes widen in confusion and his gaze flickers to Yuki, before closing in realisation. 'Eiri,' he murmurs, smiling just slightly.
This seems to add to Tohma's rage; 'Don't you dare look at him!' The blonde Angel screams, shaking Shuichi by his hair, digging his fingers in deeper.
A small trail of blood, Yuki notices, drips down by Shuichi's ear. The boy winces in pain, his beautiful face scrunches up. He bites down on his lip to keep from crying out.
'Tohma!' he pleads, 'Put him down! Just leave him alone and I'll do whatever you want!'
'SHUT UP!'
Yuki sits back on his hinds and stares dumbly at the scene before him.
'Get dressed,' Tohma orders, eyes fixed upon Shuichi. 'Eiri-san.'
Yuki hesitates.
'Do it.'
Yuki reaches over and begins to pull on his pants, followed by his dark purple shirt. He leaves it unbuttoned.
'Tohma.'
Tears are forming in Shuichi's eyes, Tohma's grip is pulling him up and so the boy's toes barely graze the floor.
'Yuki, don't...'Shuichi begs.
Yuki halts.
'Shut up, you disgusting piece of filth,' Tohma says, spitting in his rage, 'you don't understand do you? You're nothing! Disgusting. Filth like you has no right to even look at Eiri-san! Don't look at him!'
Shuichi's eyes scrunch shut. Tohma drops him to the floor as though he were a rag doll.
'Get out,' He directs at Yuki.
Yuki doesn't need to be told twice, although he finds it difficult to leave, pangs of guilt making him tremble as he watches Shuichi curl up and cower away, stoically avoiding eye contact.
He wants to say something, but he can't.
He can't do anything.
He's useless.
Once Yuki is out of the room, Tohma leans over to Shuichi, grabbing him and digging his nails into Shuichi's bare skin. One of his hands trail down Shuichi's left arm, grabbing hold of his wrist. Shuichi tries to pull away, but Tohma's grip threatens to draw blood.
'You'll never see him again. You'll never touch him again,' he smiles, 'and he won't even care.'
A silver cuff slowly forms around Shuichi's wrist, moulding itself tightly to the boy's arm. It looks like an I.D. bracelet.
A word slowly begins to form on the silver plate on the cuff, deeply etched in endless black. Abyss. Tohma's grin grows slightly wider.
'Enjoy eternity.'
He kicks Shuichi in the ribs before leaving, causing the boy to curl into the foetal position. The room falls silent, apart from Shuichi's shivering sobs. In the distance he can hear Yuki's raised voice protesting, he hears his name and then that ArchAngel yells something.
Then there's silence. Shuichi buries his head in his arms; the silver cuff digs into his cheek. He doesn't realise or care as he sobs silently to himself.
The door creaks open, one of the hinges snaps with a loud ping. Shuichi jumps and presses himself to the wall, feeling the cool plaster on his naked back. Two figures, dressed completely in black, enter the room. Shuichi can't decipher their faces. They say nothing, towering above him. Shuichi can't tell whether their looking at him or not and he just wants to hide.
One crouches and takes Shuichi's wrist. Shuichi cries out at the touch, it's white hot on his skin, and he imagines the heat melting his skin. It certainly feels hot enough. The searing fingers run over the cuff, almost as though they were reading the words. The figure lets go and red finger print burn marks, while faint, appear, marring Shuichi's skin. He whimpers as both figures reach for him, grasping an arm each just below the armpit. They haul him to his feet. Shuichi feels white-hot pain sear through his body. He falls unconscious.

.........................................................................................

Yuki stares in shock at his surroundings. The once familiar office feels alien. Tohma is moving in the corner of his vision, but Yuki barely cares what the ArchAngel is doing. His mind can't focus. He can't think. He feels Tohma's hands on his shoulders, pushing him up against the wall and pinning him there.
Yuki doesn't register Tohma's hot lips on his neck, barely registers the ArchAngel's busy hands, moving down his body. Yuki stands rigidly against the wall, pinned there, gazing off into the distance. Tohma's hand reaches up, and cups his face, pulling Yuki's mouth to his as he divulges the Angel of his shirt.
Yuki's eyes suddenly snap into focus, as Tohma's free hand slips below the waistband of his pants, caressing the skin hidden beneath them.
Tohma presses his tongue into Yuki's mouth, just as Yuki begins to fight him off. The effect of Tohma pinning him to the wall seems to impose on him a lot more the more he tries to get free.
Tohma's tongue probes into his mouth, trying to provoke some sort of reaction. Yuki's eyes narrow and he bites down, into Tohma's tongue.
"Good enough reaction, you sick bastard?"
Tohma jumps backward, freeing his hand.
'Eiri-san!'
Yuki swings his arm back and lands a punch right in Tohma's jaw, sending the ArchAngel reeling backwards into the desk. Tohma slumps against the wooden frame, clutching at his face.
'Eiri-san,' he says weakly, almost sounding shocked.
'What the fuck do you think you're doing?'
Tohma's eyes narrow; 'You let filthy little vermin touch you. I was helping you get clean.'
'Filthy? Vermin?' Yuki gapes at him. 'And cleaning? You're crazy.'
'I'm not the one who let that vile thing touch him!'
'Shut the hell up,' Yuki feels his rage course through him and he raises his fist again, swinging to land another punch.
Tohma catches it deftly, gripping Yuki's fist almost crushing it. He twists Yuki's arm around before relinquishing his grip. Yuki stumbles slightly before glaring at Tohma.
'Don't forget whom it is you're dealing with, Eiri-san.'
'It's not EIRI!'
Tohma sighs, relaxing, which furthers Yuki's rage.
'Very well, Yuki-san.'
Yuki freezes. He wants to say so much. Ask so much. 'How did you find us?'
Tohma tilts his head slightly, looking at Yuki almost as though he were asking a stupid question. 'I always know where you are, Yuki-san.'
Yuki shudders at the thought.
'Whatever.'
Tohma shrugs. 'Believe what you wish.'
Yuki takes a deep breath; 'Where's Shuichi?'
Tohma stands straight and narrows his eyes. 'It's none of your concern. You should focus your mind on other, more worthy subjects, Yuki-san.'
'Where is Shuichi?'
'You're never going to see him again,' the ArchAngel moves closer to Yuki, 'but you soon won't care about that.'
He runs a finger across Yuki's bare stomach.
Yuki tenses, but tries to ignore Tohma's advances. 'Where is Shuichi?' he asks, again.
Tohma steps back, his eyes glinting. 'You insist upon asking, even though I said you'll never see him again. Oh, very well, Yuki-san, I'll humour you. Your little piece of trash is spending eternity in the Abyss. You know what that is, correct?'
Yuki's heart misses a beat. His world crumbles.
Anything but the Abyss.
He nods, numbly.
Tohma smiles slightly, that annoying smile, the one he uses as though he's talking to a child. 'So nothing else matters, Yuki-san. Because you're not going to be seeing him again, are you?'
But Yuki's already running. Back to the apartment.
He curses his slow legs, urging his body to move faster but it never moves fast enough. He reaches Shuichi's apartment and pulls the door open. He comes face to face with a wide-eyed young woman, who stares at him in fear. Her eyes are puffy from crying.
Yuki panics, tries to reason it's the wrong apartment. He leaves and checks the number. It's right. Shuichi's gone.
Yuki feels his knees go weak and fights against collapsing, knowing he'd never get up again. He slumps against the wall and drops his head so his chin rests on his chest. His body shakes.
"It's my fault! I could have stopped it...but...but I just left, like an obedient dog."
He slams his fist against the wall. 'There has to be some way to get him back.'
Yuki pulls himself straight and heads back to his office, only to find it bare and emptied of his belongings.
Tohma is nowhere to be seen.
On the desk is a note. Yuki picks it up. It reads: 'Your job as my assistant begins tomorrow. Say your good byes, I will collect you later.
-Tohma' Yuki screws up the note. 'Persistent little fucker,' he mutters, taking a look around the office. 'One day.'
It was time to gain a partner in crime to help him with this one.

.........................................................................................

Shuichi is barely aware of anything. Of time. Of space. He can't even figure out if his eyes are open.
It's all white. Everything. White. Is there someone there?
There's no way to know.
Who is that?
Maiko? Kaa-san?
Shuichi stares blankly, the images before his eyes fading as soon as they come, sneering and scathing voices fill his mind, leaving no other thought.
Shuichi's body is numb.
Imagine yourself devoid of senses, apart from the scorning voices inside your head. Everything bad, past and present allowed to eat away at you. You can't fight it off. There's nothing to see or feel. No human contact.
The Abyss.
Where you're left to rot.
Shuichi's mind slowly slips from his grasp.

.........................................................................................

The morning has barely started. In fact, Ryuichi and Tatsuha aren't even out of bed, leaving other Child Counselling Angel's to deal with the start of the day. Ryuichi's primary reaction to the loud knocking on their door is to hurl Kumagorou at it.
The knocking, however, fails to cease despite the pink bunny attack. Grumbling, Ryuichi clambers over Tatsuha and falls from the bed.
'Ryu...clothes...' Tatsuha mumbles, sleepily.
Ryuichi blinks and rubs the sleep from his eyes. 'Oh.'
The knocking continues.
'ONE MOMENT!' he calls; bending down to pull on the boxers and t-shirt he had planned on sleeping in the night before.
'Goddamit, Ryuichi, hurry up!' the source of the knocking yells through the door.
Ryuichi fumbles with the locks, which click open, admitting the knocker.
'YUKI!'
Ryuichi grabs Kumagorou from the floor and hurls him in greeting to his friend.
'Good morning.'
Yuki wrinkles his nose at the state of the apartment. It's one bedroom, with a bathroom and a kitchen going off from either side. Paper work, of varying age, lays scattered on the floor.
'Tatsuha, it's Yuki, wake up!' Ryuichi jabs at his lover, shaking him by the shoulders.
Tatsuha opens a bleary eye and nods a greeting at the blonde. 'Turn around so I can get out of bed will you?'
Yuki rolls his eyes, but turns his back, 'I really don't have time for this,' he says sternly, hearing the bathroom door click shut.
'Take a seat,' Ryuichi offers, indicating to the bed.
Yuki remains standing. 'I need your help,' he says after a pause.
Ryuichi's face turns serious. 'What's the matter?' he clutches onto Kumagorou, like a lost child.
'I need to get into the Abyss--'
Ryuichi leaps from his seat and grabs Yuki's upper arms, not giving the blonde a chance to finish. 'You can't, you know you can't! Not the Abyss Yuki, don't, please. I can't help you.'
Yuki places his hands on the shorter Angel's shoulders. 'I need to go there. And you're going to help me, because I know you'd help Shuichi.'
'Eh?'
Yuki sighs, feeling ill at ease. Asking for help does not suit him well. He shifts on his feet and looks Ryuichi in the eyes. 'He got...Tohma...it's a long story,' he says finally. 'I need to get him out of the Abyss.'
'You don't get sent there for no good reason! Shuichi's a good kid, why would he get sent there?'
'Tohma sent him there,' Yuki says simply, hoping Ryuichi would understand.
Tatsuha chooses the moment to re-enter the room, fully dressed. 'So what's going on? I mean...it's gotta be important, it's not like you visit us often.'
'I don't visit so I can avoid you.'
Tatsuha raises an eyebrow and shakes his head, smirking. 'Whatever.' He looks at Ryuichi, 'What's the matter?'
'Shuichi's in the Abyss. Tohma sent him there...oh.'
'The Abyss?'
'Yuki, were you and Shuichi er---'
'The ABYSS?'
Yuki rolls his eyes again. He itches with impatience, knowing this will take a long time. Time he can't waste.
'Tatsuha, be quiet. Were you together?'
'Yes, we were together---'
'Mou…you choose now to listen to my advice no da.'
'Ryuichi, we don't have time for smugness. I have a day before I have to go become Tohma's pet, and I need to get Shuichi out of that hell hole.'
'Wait a sec, slow down. I don't know about Ryu, but I'm confused,' Tatsuha runs a hand through his dark hair, 'I don't see why we should help you without a full explanation. Especially if helping involves the Abyss.'
Yuki takes a shaky, impatient breath. 'I have been…seeing Shuichi. Tohma caught us together and sent Shuichi to the Abyss, I need you to help me get into the Abyss to get him ou—'
'It's impossible!' Tatsuha starts, only to be silenced by a glare from Yuki.
'I'm going to rescue Shuichi,' he says with a certain determination, 'Even if I am going to end up as Tohma's pet today, I'm not leaving Shuichi there to rot. I have one day, are you helping me or not?'
'Of course!' Ryuichi bounces on his feet, a cheeky grin lighting up his face, 'you know I love breaking rules!'

.........................................................................................

It is a bright day, just as every other day is, Suguru notes in boredom. Hell was horribly monotonous, even if you grew used to it eventually. He looks over at Hiro sitting in Shuichi's usual place beside him. The red head is resting his face in his hands, whistling a tune idly. The tune takes a pause when he notices Suguru watching him. Hiro grins at the Angel and goes back to whistling, staring into the void above.
Suguru, not for the first time in the day, looks around anxiously for any sign of Shuichi. A deep pain is settled within his chest, having been there since seeing Shuichi the previous day. A mixture of longing and guilt. Suguru frowns.
'Do you think Shuichi is alright?' he asks. It's not the first time he's asked this, either.
Suguru was being rather repetitive.
Hiro looks at him again, his face marred with concern. 'He said he was fine last night, you know. I told you that already.'
'Then why isn't he here?'
Hiro shrugs, and stretches his arms behind him, leaning back. He looks at Suguru out of the corner of his eye. 'I don't know. Is there something you're not telling me?'
'What do you mean?' Suguru says, his voice defensive.
'Nothing.'
Suguru narrows his eyes.
Hiro edges away slightly and sighs. 'It's just you seem awfully worried over Shuichi, is all. You weren't the one to upset him, were you?'
The green haired Angel bites his lip and looks away. 'I don't know.'
'Don't know?'
Brown eyes turn back to Hiro.
'I don't know. Shuichi got upset by the truth,' the Angel says, almost bitterly, 'I couldn't help that.'
Hiro raises an eyebrow, running a hand through his long hair. 'What were you two talking about that deserved a dose of upsetting truth?'
'Shuichi can choose whether or not to tell you himself, can't he?'
'What's that supposed to mean?'
'Nothing!' Suguru snaps, 'Just leave it okay?'
Hiro nods slowly, shocked by Suguru's outburst. 'You brought the subject up,' he mutters quietly, just so Suguru can't hear.
Hiro thinks Suguru probably has a guilty conscience, but he's worried about Shuichi too.
The boy had seemed frail and depressed the previous day, but Hiro had needed to be alone, it couldn't be helped. And then, when he had gone to see Shuichi when he awoke, the boy wasn't in his apartment. In fact, Hiro frowns; there had been a girl in the apartment.
Hiro couldn't shift the feeling that something bad had happened.
'I wonder if he's all right…' Suguru was muttering in a distracted manner.
The door to the office building creaked open behind them, a stern female voice floated out.
'I don't care, Yuki,' it was saying, 'and don't even think about throwing that damn doll at me, Ryuichi. You will not convince me into helping you.'
Hiro blinks and looks around, Suguru follows his gaze. Ayaka has her back to them both, one hand placed firmly on her hip, the other rests on the old door's handle.
Hiro doesn't recognise the men she's with, but Suguru seems to as he stands looking ready to bolt. Hiro stands too, looking questioningly at Suguru, who doesn't notice.
Ayaka shoves the door open further and turns to walk away from the three men.
'Ayaka, listen—'
She stops when she notices Hiro and Suguru.
'Can you two go away?' She asks gratingly.
The people she was talking to step outside as well. Hiro still has no clue who they are or what's going on.
Suguru ignores Ayaka, and addresses one of the men. A blonde.
'You know where Shuichi is, don't you?' He says coldly. 'And whatever's happened to him is probably your fault.'
'Suguru!' Ayaka says sharply, pushing him backwards. 'I said go away.'
Suguru bats Ayaka off and stares hardly at the blonde, who looks back unperturbed – although, Hiro notes, his eyes that his eye's convey something other than calm.
'I'm right, aren't I? He told me, you know. About you and him. And now whatever's happened to him is your fault,' the young Angel says snidely.
'Suguru, notice who you're damn well talking too, fool!' Ayaka snaps.
'I don't care!'
'Excuse me,' Hiro says, 'but what in Hell is going on?'
Suguru turns around to the red head, 'He-' he points at the blonde, '-is the reason Shuichi is no where to be seen today.'
'Suguru!'
A pink bunny comes flying and hits Suguru squarely in the side of the head.
'Sorry, no da. But don't go around with accusations you can't back,' the shortest of the three men moves forward and retrieves the stuffed toy. 'You got Kumagorou all angry, nan no da!' He looks at Suguru, his face loosing the happy-go-lucky look and turning serious, 'Remember your place when speaking to a leader of Hell.'
Suguru pouts, folding his arms across his chest. He opens his mouth to say more, but the brown haired man cuts across him.
'Ne, ne…shouldn't we go somewhere else to discuss this?' He bobs the pink bunny's head as though it were talking. 'Ryu-chan thinks we should!'
'Suguru---is it?' The blonde says slowly.
Suguru clenches his fists, but nods in confirmation.
'It is my fault.'
Suguru lurches forward into the blonde, swinging to hit him and failing miserably as the blonde side steps the hit.
'But are you angry with me because of that or because Shuichi chose me over you?' he whispers in Suguru's ear, before pushing him back.
'Yuki…'
'Ayaka, are you going to help us or not,' the blonde – Yuki, Hiro figures- turns to the Counselling Angel.
'I won't.'
'Ayaka-' the only man who hasn't spoken up starts. Hiro notes that he looks a lot like the blonde, actually, but dismisses it. Unimportant.
What he really wants to know is what's going on.
'Ayaka, just suggest something…we're not asking much.'
'They'll know…' she says softly, before turning round fully to face the three. 'Yuki got himself into this mess. He shouldn't drag others into it! And it should be well left alone, if Tohma is involved. You know what he's like-'
'I don't care.'
'Yes, but you know. And Shuichi's better off there than where Tohma could really hurt him, besides. And I warned you both about your little… relationship. I told you. I told him. You fools,' her hands land firm on hips and she leans into Yuki. 'I won't have anything to do with it. I suggest you ask someone who actually knows more about the Abyss too.'
She stalks off.
The brown haired man pokes his tongue out at her after she's passed before going back to nibbling on his pink rabbit's ears, leaning into the other dark haired man.
'What now, Yuki?'
The blonde clenches his fists and heaves a sigh. 'I don't know,' he says bitterly.
'The…Abyss?' Suguru suddenly cries, his shoulders shaking. His knees give out and Hiro moves forward and catches the Angel.
Suguru's breath comes in heavy, hard pants and he pushes Hiro away. 'The Abyss?' he croaks, his voice verging on hysterical.
Hiro pulls a confused look; no longer knowing what to do.
'Suguru---'
'THE ABYSS?' the angel screams, slamming his fists down onto the concrete.
The three men look down at Hiro and Suguru.
'Suguru, calm down,' Hiro urges, panic rising.
Yuki's face loses its cold look. 'Yes, the Abyss.'
Suguru shakes in Hiro's arms, out of anger and sadness. 'Is that where Shuichi is?'
'Yes,' Ryuichi answers for the blonde. He pulls worriedly at the pink rabbits ears. Tatsuha envelopes him in a hug, soothing him.
'Tohma sent him there.'
'Tohma?' Hiro asks. 'Can someone tell me what's going on? Please?'
Yuki looks at him. 'Don't concern yourself with this.'
'Shuichi's my friend;' Hiro states, 'I'm concerned with this, whatever this is! I don't know what the fuck's going on, but I'll find out some way or other!'
Yuki's golden eyes narrow into a glare, which Hiro meets firmly in defiance.
You don't scare me.
'What's the Abyss? Why is it bad that Shuichi's there?' Hiro breaks the silent standoff.
'The Abyss is the ultimate punishment. Once you're put there you can't come out. It's torture…apparently. Not many people can really say much about it,' Suguru answers, surprising them all, 'because anyone whose been there and come back doesn't have a mind to say anything about it.'
The green haired boy looks up; his face is tearstained. 'And Shuichi's wasting away there now,' he pulls himself to his feet and grabs Yuki's shirt, 'because he loved you!'
Yuki pushes Suguru away. 'I don't have time for this; if you give a damn about Shuichi then stop bothering me!'
'Yuki!' Ryuichi says, warningly, 'they're upset.'
Hiro's face creases into a frown. 'So…basically…you can't rescue Shuichi?'
'We'll find a way,' Yuki snaps.
'Why did he get sent there? It doesn't make any sense!'
Yuki freezes for a moment, a look of complete hurt and guilt on his face. 'What does it matter?' he turns on his heel and walks back into the counselling building.
'Yuki, wait!' Ryuichi follows quickly, grabbing Tatsuha's hand and pulling him along. Hiro and Suguru stare after them for a moment, before the Angel bolts after them, Hiro quickly following.
'You think you can just leave us behind?' Suguru demands, trying desperately to keep up the pace.
The three higher Angels ignore him.
'You can't just ignore us! We want to help!'
'Suguru…' Hiro warns, his breath coming heavily as he tries to catch up.
'Listen to me!' he slams his fist into a wall with surprising force.
Hiro jumps and the Angels' stop.
'What do you have to say?' Yuki asks, voice dangerous.
Suguru glares right back. 'I don't care who you are; you're going to tell us everything and let us help. That's that.'

To be Continued…

Footnotes: Kk, here's my rundown: This chapter was intended to be much longer, but I lost all my notes for it. So I figured (reading back over it) that I could leave this how it was and update; rather than not update for ages. I just have to do more notes now (joy). My apologies for the horrid 'filler' chapter.